The United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened a special summit on May 12-13, 2022. It was the first time in the bloc’s 45-year history that ASEAN leaders were welcomed together to Washington. The summit holds significance as it came at a time when the security landscape in Europe has changed fundamentally due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden on the occasion of the meeting stressed that the U.S.-ASEAN relationship has entered a “new era,” signaling that America is back in Southeast Asia.